Wire connector



Jan. 15, 1945. o. H 'WIS'EGARVER 2,393,083

WIRE CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 11 1943 @Pro/v /7 ,WAS/5 ARI/ER Patented ne. is, 194s einen I escasos l if ist @Willman omo n. weeen-wei, ne' ongein, emmer to Adel Precision oi Confiseriel Producto oro'., n commotion scontento ocioso n, less, semina. sessel This invention relates to tietocllsble con nectors lor mechanically and electrically connecting electrical wires, particularly in aircraft.

An object of this invention is to provide o plus and socket type of connector oi the character described wherein the socket will be smelly en panded and diametrically constrlcted to increasingly grip and hold the plug therein when a force tending to separate the socket ond plus is accidentally applied thereto but will be di emetricslly expended and release its grip onine plug when compressed during the application of an intentional separating force thereto.

Another'object of Emy invention is to provide cconnector of the character described in which a member is provided in association with the socket es a. means for eecting the compression of the socket while pulling on tile socket sind plus to intentionally disconnect tliem, solo member in the ,present 'embodiment being in the form of a housing in which scid socket is mount ed so that the.' housing and socket are reletlvely movable.

Another object is to provide e connector noch as described wherein the socket is provided with a plurality of integral helicolly coiled grinning lingers or membersthe free or outerA ends oi which are subject to being engaged by the socket housing so that the socket moy be' compreseed and diametrically expended .to relesse the ning omis-ses Fis. 3 is e. longitudinal sectional lview teken on the line t-g oi Fis. 23

Fig. i is s longitudinal sectional view oi the connector snowing the relation of the plug ond socket during the ect of disconnecting them;

Fig. 5 is e lrogmentcry top plan View ci the rhomboirlal blank or strip as prepared preliminary to rolling it to form the tubular socket;

Fig. il is a side elevation of the tubular socket contact removed from its housing.

Referring to the drawing more specincolly, it is seen 'that one embodiment of my invention generally includes o tubular socket'oontect i mode oi somewhat resilient motel, o cylindricel l rigid housing 2 of insulation meterial enclos ing socket i, and e. motel plug contact s adopted to be extended through en engi oi the housing t into tiie socket yso es to be frictionally gripped .enti lielcl therein.

Electrical wires t ond t ere xed to the socket end plus `respectively in electrical contact there .with so tiret when said members are telescopi colly encased as obove noted a reliable electricsl and mechanical connection of seid wires is provided fior. i' i in sccordsnce with this invention the tobillo:

' socket i is censimenti se niet' it will ce eeby holding the housing end pulling thereon in L a. direction away from the plus or while polline in the lopposite direction on the plug. l l

; A further object is to provide o connector suoli ves described wherein a good electrical contest is effected and maintained by reason ci the construction of the socket and the grinning tiction thereof on the plug, and particularly' in that the helically coiled fingers embroce ond frictionslly grip the plug and wipe the letter clean with each -connection ond disconnection of the connector.

.with the foregoing objects in view. togetherl with suoli other objects and solvanteses ss moy subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts and in the combination, construction ond arrangement of parts hereinafter described end claimed. end illustrated by wey oi exemple in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fis. l is o side elevation of o, connector embodying the present invention. shown in wire connecting position;

Fis. 2 is s cross sectional view token on the line tml oi Fig. l:

@ended smelly end dicmetricolly constricted to tighten its orio on the ping t when a. iorce ior polling inem eport is enrolled through the wires t end t snol titillel the socket is free, thereby preventing accidentel iincouoling of the connector. However, the housing t sndsocket i ere ccnstmcted end relatively srrenged so that vwhen the operotor grips the housing enti the plug or the wire 5 oiliecent thereto, ond exerts e. iorce for pulling them eport, the housing will engage end oslellycompress the socket i which will then expend diometricelly and release its orio on the nlug t thereby providing for a; quick end om l disconnection or the connector with e. compsrstively licht noli.

t s n secon in rig'. s, thesceket i is'meee' rioni I rhomboidel strip t of somewhat resilient sheet motel listini; sooo. conducting ouolities ond provided with s plurality or narrow nei-elle] slots 'i extending longitudineliy from e'noint neer one end ci the strip through the other end thereof to form concrete nngers or gripping members o This rncmccieei solo is relies to form the sito lor socket i shown inils. 6` with the ngers t nelicolly ccnyolved similarly to o colle-d spring ond the tree ends or seid lngere Hush' with one smother enel termino .the coen or outer end oi' the socket. Due to the rhomboidslislieoi the strip and the manner in which the nngers 8 are formed and helically wound in normally axially spaced relation, to form the tubular socket l, it is seen that when a force tending to pull the plug 3 and socket i apart is transmitted thereto through the wires, while the housing 2 is not held, the socket is axially expanded and the helical ngers 8 will be constrioted and tightened around the plug and effect a tight grip thereon preventing accidental uncoupling of the com` nector.

aseaosa When the socket I is compressed axially as by pushing inwardly against the outer ends of the finger 8 thereof while pulling on plug 3 as though to remove it, 'the socket will be diametrically expanded and the fingers will unwind somewhat and release their grip on the plug As here provided the wire 4 is soldered as at 9 in the inner end of the socket l. and wire 6 is soldered as at l to the plug.

The cylindrical housing 2 has agreater internal diameter thanV the outside diameter ofthe socket i whereby the latter may be freely diametrically expanded therein. Moreover, the housing is of greater length than the socket member whereby these two members are relatively movable axially thereof and the housing becomes a means for eecting the compression of the' socket to release the plug.

The wire 4 is inserted through an apertured screw threaded stop member i i before being soldered as at 9 to the socket I and following the soldering of the wire to the socket the latter and the wire are inserted through internally screw threaded end l2 of the socket 2 and the stop member il is then screwed into said threaded end and acts to hold the socket in the housing.

The wire d is freely slidable in opposite directions in the stop il in the same manner that the socket l is freely movable in the housing 2.

The outer end of thehousing 2 is provided with an annular internal stop flange i3 forming an opening i4 for reception of plug 3, said opening registering with the bore of the socket l. The flange i3 will engage the outer ends of the nngers 8 of the socket l and. if forcibly held against said lingers, will compress the socket axially whereby the socket will expand diametrically when the operator while gripping the housing 2 without pulling on the wire 4, and while gripping the plug 3 or the wire E adjacent thereto, exerts a force for pulling the socket and plug apart.

When the socket is diametrically expanded inv this manner the helical fingers 8 unwind somewhat and release their grip on the plug thereby permitting of an easy intentional separation of the plug and socket. Fig. 4 shows the socket as when diametrlcally expanded to release its grip on the plug member.

Any accidental pulling part force transmitted through the wires themselves to the two connector members l and 3 while the housing 2 is free and the ange Il thereof is not caused to engage and compress the socket axially, will cause thesocket to be extended axially diametrically constricted whereby the fingers 8 will likewise be constricted and tightly grip plug member to prevent disconnection thereof, the gripping action increasing with the increase of the pullingapart force, thereby safeguarding against inadvertent disconnection of the socket and plug. That part of the socket l in which the wire 4 is soldered is not'diametrically expanded and contracted as will be seen with reference to Fig. 4.

It should be noted that in addition to a reliable yet quick detachable mechanical connection acrded by the helical lingers 8, of the socket l when the plug is unseated, a most effective electrical connection is provided due to the contact of the integral nngers 8 with the plug.

These ngers present sharp edges which closely and somewhat angularly bind against the plug to insure a good electrical and holding contact when the plug is inserted and to act as wipers to keep the contacting surfaces clean.

The stop member il is counterbored as at li' to receive the insulation d' of the wire 4 whereby the bared portion of the wire is freely slidable thereinwhen the socket and housing are relatively moved. The extended part of the plug is preferably of the same diameter as the housing to make a smooth and flush joint.

v The part of the plug 3 which is exposed when the plug is in the socket is preferably insulated by means of a suitable insulation jacket 3'.

It is now seen that I have provided an improved wire connector which of simple. inexpensive, small and compact construction ideally ,suited for use in aircraft where quick connection and disconnection of such wires are most desirable to meet the installation, replacement and inspection requirements and a reliable safeguard against accidental disconnection must be provided. f y

While I have shown and described specic embodiments of my invention I do not limit myself to the exact details of construction set forth, and the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the parts and their formation and arrangement as come within the purview of the appended claims.

l. In Aa wire connector, a tubular socket contact adapted to be iixed at one end to an electric wire and having its other end open for reception of a plug contact, a tubular housing of greater length than and enclosing said socket and being movable axially relative thereto, and stop members in the housing for limiting the movement thereof relative to the socket, said socket including a plurality of helically coiled gripping members adapted to surround the plug contact and which will be constricted diametrically and grip the plug contact when the socket is free and a force tending to pull the socket and plug apart is applied thereto, but will be diametrically expanded and release the plug when the housing is intentionally held with one o: its stop members pressing forcibly against the open end of the socket in opposition to a force exerted on the plug and socket to intentionally pull them apart. 1

, 2. In. a wire connector, a tubular socket contact adapted to be xed at one end to an electric wire and having its other end open for reception of a plug contact, a tubular housing of greater length than and enclosing said socket and being movable axially relative thereto, and stop members in the housing for limiting the movement thereof relative to the socket, said socket including a plurality of helically coiled gripping members adapted to surround the plug contact and which will be constricted diametrically and grip the plug contact when the socket is free and a force tending to pull the socket and plug apart is applied thereto. but will be diametrically expanded and release the plug when the housing is intentionally held with one of its stop members pressing forcibly against the open end of Vthe socket in opposition to a force exerted on the plug and socket to intentionally pull them apart, said socket being formed of a strip of resilient sheet metal of rhomboidal outline having a plurality of slots extending parallel to the longitudinal edges thereof forming said helically coiled gripping members when said strip is rolled into tubular form. Y

3. In a wire connector, a tubular socket contact adapted to be xed at one end to an electric wire and having its other end open, a plug contact insertable into said socket contact through its open end to be frictionally held therein, a tubular housing Yin which said socket is mounted so that the housing and socket may be relatively moved axially, stop members in said housing limiting' relative movement of the housing and socket, said housing having one end open suffifciently to allow a wire attached .to the socket to be freely movable therein, the other en d of the housing being open to permit of insertion of the plug contact into the socket, and means embodied in the socket for frictionally j grip- 4 ping and holding the plug therein, operating to increasingly grip and hold the plug when a force Atending to pull the plug and socket apart is 4. In a wire connector, a tubular socket con-- tact adapted to be ixed at one end to an electric .wire and having its other end open, a plug contact insertable into said socket contact through its open end to be frictlonally held therein, a tubular housing inv which said socket is mounted so that the housing and socket may be relatively moved axially, stop members in said housing limiting relative movement of the housing and socket, said housing having one end open sutilciently to allow awire attached to the socket to be freely movable therein, the other end of the housing being open to permit of insertion of the aforesaid plug contact into the socket,`said socket including integral helically coiled gripping members adapted to embrace the plug contact and which render the socket subject to axial expansion and compression, with incident diametrical restriction and expansion respectively, whereby said helical members while operating to tighten around the plug when the socket is axiv ally expanded, and loosening their grip on the pressing against. the open end ofthe socket in opposition to a force tending to pull the socket and plug apart.

5. In a Wire connector, a tubular socket contact adapted to be fixed to one end of an elec,- tric wire and having its other end open, a plug contact which is 'adapted to be connected to another electric wire, said plug contact being insertable into said socket contact through its said open end, said socket including a plurality of helically coiled gripping members having their free ends disposed at the open exid of the socket, said gripping members frictionally gripping and holding the plug when the latter is in the socket and'operating when a force is applied to separate the plug and socket to eect axial expansion and diametrical constriction of the socket to increase the gripping action on the plug, and means associated with said socket and adaptm to be forcibly pressed against the free ends of said gripping members in opposition to a force tending to separate the plug and socket, whereby the socket will be axially compressed and diametricaily expanded to release the gripping action on the plug.

6. In a wire connector, a tubular socket contact adapted to be fixed to one end of an electric wire and having its other end open, a plug gripping members having their free ends disposed at the open end of the socket, said gripping members frictionally gripping and holding yin opposition to a force tending to separate the plug and socket, whereby the socket will be axially compressed and diametrically expanded t0 release the gripping action on the plug, said means including a tubular housing enclosing the socket and having greater internal diameter than the diameter of the socket and a greater length than the socket so that the socket may be diametrically expanded therein and the housing and socket may be relati"ely axially moved, an apertured member in one end of the housing through which a wire connected to the socket is freely slidable, and anannular stop flange on the other end of the housing permitting of free movement of the plug into and out of the socket and operating to engage said free ends of the helical gripping members and compress the socket when the socket is held in opposition to a force tend ing to separate the plug and socket.

` ORTON H. WISEGARVER. 

